Anyone watching this on Showtime? Damien Lewis, Paul Giamatti, Malin Ackerman, and a bunch of really good actors. The basic premise is Giamatti is trying to take down billionaire Lewis, a hedge fund trader. Three episodes so far, and the latest was the best.
I caught the first episode. There was a fair amount of exposition, but I still enjoyed it. Some strong actors, agreed. I noticed that it is already renewed for a second season, which says something.
Its an excellent cast, well acted, and they hit a lot of good market talk and hedge funding stuff without being too dramatic or Aaron Sorkin slick and cheesy. The Sweetums storyline from the most recent episode was fantastic. Maggie Siff continues to be a fox, but I don't like that Axe's right hand man, who's been a scrub in Breaking Bad and Suits, has the same nickname as me.
Well, I see it from your angle, of course. That actor has been in just a ton of stuff....I think I first saw him on The Wire? One of those guys that pops up all over. Actors like that remind me of a documovie that I saw a couple of years ago. I liked it. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2402200/ That Guy ... Who Was in That Thing Documentary about sixteen actors who detail their ups and downs as they struggle to forge careers in Hollywood. They've played cops, lawyers, bosses, best friends, psychopaths, politicians and everything in between. Now you'll know who they are.
Question for anyone who watches this: is it supposed to be a grey morality tale, showing a cat-and-mouse between two skilled sides, or is it turning a genre on its ear and making the venture capitalist the hero? Because as much as I like the show, and in fact love Lewis' Axlerod, it is doing a horrible job on the Giamatti likeability factor. So far as I can tell, Axlerod is just doing what everyone else does and some scheming weak attorney with a Napoleon complex decides to bring him down. Everyone that the law touches has their lives ruined, and everyone in Axe's circle is in the good life. So I guess I'm confused which of these options HBO was trying to convey.
I think it's meant to be grey. I've had the same thoughts. Initially, you thought, 'ok, this is a wall street guy getting his comeupance' but now, it's very grey. Having litigated against the government many times in my life, I find the characters to be very lifelike.